Man who ran program for abused teens charged in Michigan

Pahl charged with two counts of sexual misconduct

Pahl charged with two counts of sexual misconduct

April 15, 2006

ST. JOSEPH, Mich. (AP) — The former executive director of an area home for abused children who was charged in Minnesota with sexually as-saulting a teenager is facing two more charges in Michigan. Berrien County Prosecutor Jim Cherry on Friday author-ized two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct against Richard C. Pahl Jr., The Herald-Palladium re-ported. Pahl, 44, headed the LINK Crisis Intervention Center for 11 years before leaving for Minnesota in December. Pahl had been charged last week in Minnesota with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. "As of right now I don't have any indication that there's any sexual activity with any children who were actually involved with the LINK," Cherry said. Pahl was first arrested in Eden Prairie, Minn., and re-leased on bond, but following Friday's decision on charges he was re-arrested and was being held without bond, the Berrien County sheriff's de-partment said. Minnesota police say the abuse began in 2002 and the teenager was known to Pahl, but not through his work with the nonprofit human services agency Freeport West. Pahl was fired Tuesday from that job. A criminal complaint said a search of Pahl's Eden Prairie house yielded 18 binders with pictures of naked boys from ages 5 to 16. Many of them were engaged in sexual activ-ity with other children. Authorities also found nude photos of the teenage victim and another boy.